A Father's Love
by EmAino
Summary: (Complete) The prequel to Long Road Home. The tumble into Miller's Falls was only the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Leo du Pres.
1. Chapter 1: The End or the Beginning?

{Author's note: I was going to put the sequel to Long Road Home up before I even started on the prequel. However, due to my overactive imagination, the sequel is going to cover a larger time frame than originally planned and is taking forever to write (especially since I just trashed it a few days ago, and I'm rewriting what I had so far). Anyway, enjoy!}  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters (except for the minor ones I created out of neccessity...). ABC and Agnes Nixon have that privilege.  
  
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Additional note: Story starts in October 2002, right after the Miller's Falls incident.  
  
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As the waves continued to break upon his body and the shore around him, Leo du Pres let out a huge sigh as he finally felt solid ground against his body. Even though the swift ride down river had taken a lot out of him, the brown-haired, brown-eyed man had somehow managed to find enough strength to make it to shore. Shivering as the night wind collided against his sodden shirt, he slowly rolled onto his back and stared up at the night-sky. As he shivered again from the cold, he winced in agony. It pained him to merely take a breath, and Leo could hear the darkness calling to him as his eyelids felt heavier by the minute.  
  
"No." he said to himself, shaking his head. He had to get up and find his wife, Greenlee. He had to make sure that she was alive and all right. Taking a moment to curse his mother who had caused all of this to happen, Leo found the strength to stand up. As a red-hot pain seared through both of his legs, Leo collapsed to the ground once more immediately. He tried to catch himself with his arms, but felt the same pain from his left arm as well. As he laid back down on the grit of the riverbank, Leo lifted his arm to examine it. Its position was definitely not normal, which led him to believe he had broken it. He ventured that his legs were also broken, thus why he couldn't stand upon them.  
  
Realizing that all he could really do was lie on the shore and hope that someone would miraculously find him, Leo sighed in defeat. He turned his throbbing head to look at the river as desperation filled the air. He would never be able to make it through the woods with three broken limbs! As he turned his attention to figuring out how to signal a rescue plane, Leo powerlessly felt himself close his eyes. Then, he felt nothing.  
  
Spotting the unconscious Leo, a dark haired man appeared suddenly from the woods and bolted over to his side. The stranger knelt gently down near du Pres, and felt along his neck for a pulse. Upon finding one, the new arrival turned back towards the woods he had sprinted from.  
  
"I think I found him!" he called out, causing another man to appear from the woods. This one joined his partner at Leo's side, and pulled a picture out of his pocket. He checked to see if Leo matched up.  
  
"It's him all right." the second man confirmed, stashing the picture away. He shook his head at the mere sight of Leo. "He doesn't look good, Reyes. That arm of his is definitely broken."  
  
"The guy just fell 100 feet into a raging river." Reyes pointed out, grabbing a hold of Leo's torso, "I would think that he would have some injuries. We need to get him to the plane immediately!"  
  
"Right." Reyes' partner replied, holding Leo's legs. With some effort, the two men lifted the unconscious Leo up, and carried him off into the woods.  
  
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Feeling the prick of a needle in his arm, Leo opened his still tired eyes. He could feel that he was moving somehow, although he appeared to be lying down. Because he was still rather sleepy, his vision wasn't the greatest but the Pine Valley resident could make out that a few people were surrounding him.   
  
"He's woken up." one of the people said.  
  
Feeling a syringe being pulled out of his right arm, Leo turned his attention to that general area. A man who appeared to be wearing a doctor's uniform was standing near him.  
  
"We've taken the blood required." he said in a firm voice, "Sedate him.  
  
"Yes, doctor." the first person replied before putting a breathing mask over Leo's mouth and nose. As quickly as he had woken up, Leo was out once more.  
  
To be continued.... 


	2. Chapter 2: Good morning, Mr du Pres!

The rain that was starting to fall hit the concrete patio of the gardens several stories below. However, weather was the last thing on the mind of Count Guy du Pres. His thoughts were on the events transpiring behind a closed door just a few feet down the hall from where he stood. Hearing the door to said room open, the elderly Frenchman turned his attention away from the thin window he had been staring out of. A slightly younger man had emerged from the room, which caused the look on Guy's face to turn from one of thoughtfulness to curiosity.   
  
"How is he?" Guy inquired, nodding towards the room.  
  
"He is as you would expect." the other man answered, "Monsieur du Pres is extremely lucky that he survived the fall, much less a trip down a raging river."  
  
"His injuries?" Guy wondered, not sure that he wanted to hear this.  
  
"Multiple." the other man replied to Guy's dismay, "Of course, I did treat him on the plane flight here, but I think that you should reconsider your position. At the moment, he would be much better off in a hospital."  
  
"No." Guy declined, shaking his head, "They could easily find him there, and finish him off. Leo will remain with me."  
  
"I understand." the other man nodded, "Per your request, I also withdrew some of his blood before we had to sedate him. I can assure you that the test will be done under the tightest security, so we won't have reason to doubt the results."  
  
"If you could start on that right away, Henri," Guy requested, "I would very much appreciate it."  
  
"I will." Henri replied with a slight nod.  
  
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Pushing the door to the medium-sized bedroom open quietly, Guy looked around at the room before entering. As he shut the bedroom door behind him, he turned on the bedside lamp to let some light into the room. He figured that since Leo was still sedated, the tiny bit of light wouldn't bother him. The light fell on the bandaged, unconscious younger man, and Guy frowned at the mere sight of him. Thinking back on the couple times he had been around Leo, the Count remembered how energetic the younger man usually was, and thought about how hard it was to see him in such a state as this.  
  
Chuckling slightly, Guy realized just how concerned he was about the younger man when it didn't make any sense for him to be. After all, he had had no clue that Leo even existed until a few months ago. The young man had come from America looking for his father, which he had always been told was Guy. However, this was almost impossible as Leo had brown eyes while Guy and Vanessa, Leo's mother, had blue. As he remembered the pain in Leo's voice when he had informed Guy of this, the Count sat slowly down in the wooden chair next to the bed. The search for his father had consumed Leo his whole life, and he had expected that to end when he found Guy.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Guy happened to notice the bandage on Leo's right arm where the syringe had gone in. Reaching out his hand, Guy gently ran his fingers over the bandage and sighed. Although the results were bound to be negative, Guy was having another paternity test done, as he had to make absolute sure that the only reason the first one had come back positive was that it had been tampered with.  
  
"Ugh." Leo groaned as his eyes started to open. Guy's attention was brought immediately back to the bed in front of him. He watched silently, as Leo's confused brown eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out where he was. As they landed on Guy, the older man smiled back at the younger man. "Guy?"  
  
"That was quite a tumble you took." Guy remarked, "You are lucky that you even survived, Leo."  
  
"Where am I?" Leo asked, sitting up slightly.  
  
"The Chateau du Pres." Guy said, causing the look of confusion on Leo's face to intensify.  
  
"France?" Leo repeated, looking around, "But how did I get…"  
  
"I had some of my security staff retrieve you." Guy explained.  
  
"Why?" Leo asked, before realizing something, "Where's Greenlee? I thought that she'd be here with me at least."  
  
"She's back in Pine Valley." Guy answered.  
  
"Is she okay?" Leo inquired worried.  
  
"Oui." Guy nodded, "She was retrieved from the cliff, as was your brother, Trey. They are both fine."  
  
"Then, I don't understand." Leo said, looking confused at Guy, "If she's okay, then why isn't she here with us?"  
  
"Because," Guy sighed, "because she and the rest of the world believe that you are dead."   
  
"What?" Leo exclaimed, sitting up straight. His eyes widened in shock. "How come you haven't…"  
  
"Called and told them where you are?" Guy finished as Leo nodded, "I have no intention of doing so."  
  
"Why the hell not?" Leo wondered angrily, "Do you even realize just how much thinking that I'm dead must be killing them? Greenlee especially!"  
  
"I understand that, Leo." Guy explained calmly, "But I have my reasons for doing so. You must believe that."  
  
"No reason is good enough to put them through that!" Leo retorted, turning his head away.  
  
"Not even saving their lives, as well as yours?" Guy inquired, getting Leo to turn back towards him.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Leo wondered curious.  
  
"Your mother is also presumed dead." Guy explained, putting a hand on Leo's arm, "Because of the way she died, her associates will want to hunt down the person they see as responsible for her death."  
  
"Me." Leo guessed, looking at the blankets draped across his legs.  
  
"Yes." Guy nodded earnestly, "It is for that reason alone that I must ask you to stay here with me secretly. This is the only place I can think of that you will be safe."  
  
"But what about Greenlee?" Leo asked, "Can't she…"  
  
"No." Guy said sadly, "Had she also fallen into the river, I would have thought about it. But since she has been recovered, there would be no way for us to sneak her over here that wouldn't be too obvious to your mother's associates. I'm afraid that Greenlee must stay in Pine Valley, and go on thinking that you have perished for her own protection."  
  
"Right." Leo nodded, seeing Guy's point. If Greenlee thought him dead, she would have no useful information as to his whereabouts, and wouldn't be a target. "God! This is going to kill her."  
  
"Your Greenlee is strong." Guy pointed out, "Give her credit."  
  
"Still…" Leo sighed, "Wait. If they would go after my loved ones, what about you? Wouldn't they…"  
  
"No." Guy said with a smile, "For some reason, they don't believe that you and I have a strong enough relationship that I would run the risk of hiding you. No one will think to look for you here."  
  
"Idiots." Leo chuckled, "So, how long is this little stay of mine going to be?"  
  
"I don't know." Guy replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "Interpol has promised me that they will do a quick a job as they can do, but it may take quite awhile for the threat on your life to pass."  
  
"Great." Leo said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I will give you some time to let this all sink in." Guy remarked, standing up, "How about I head down to the kitchen for you? Some food and drink should do you some good, no?"  
  
"Merci, Comte." Leo thanked as the Count silently departed the room.  
  
As the door shut behind him, Guy sighed and looked back at the solid wooden door. He could only hope that Leo was strong enough to survive the enormous heartbreak of being separated from his loved ones, especially his beautiful wife, Greenlee. Realizing that there was nothing he could really do to help Leo, the Count headed slowly downstairs to the kitchens.  
  
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As Guy left, Leo reluctantly pulled back the bed blankets to take in his injuries. Both of his legs were in casts as was his left arm, and, from what he could see in a nearby mirror, his head and ribs were also bandaged up. It would take him awhile to recover from all of these injuries, but Leo knew the greatest injury would be the separation from his loved ones back in Pine Valley. He wondered what they were all doing now, and how they were coping with the fact that he was feared dead. Sighing, he knew that Greenlee had to be going crazy with grief. Leo knew that that's how he would feel if he thought that he lost her. For some reason, he suddenly remembered the fact that he had taken his jacket off while in the river.  
  
"My God!" Leo whispered to himself, "That's the only thing they're going to find!"  
  
The image of the distraught Greenlee receiving the still sodden coat from a police officer entered his head. As he could see the look of sheer anguish on Greenlee's face, he shook his head violently to clear away the mental picture. Looking towards the ceiling, Leo hoped with all of his might that Greenlee would be surrounded by their family and friends when and if she received the coat. She would need their comfort and support now more than ever. Sighing, du Pres only wished that he could somehow tell her that he was alive and all right, but that would defeat the purpose of hiding out like this.  
  
Slowly, Leo's thoughts turned to his mother, Vanessa. He wondered what exactly had happened to her after the two had fallen. Leo couldn't remember seeing her anywhere after he fell, so it was possible that she was indeed dead. However, he had personally seen her come suddenly back to life after a supposedly fatal heart attack, so it was possible that she could have survived this too. And if she had, Leo wondered just where she was hiding out, and how long it would be before she resurfaced. Sighing, he realized that if she were alive, her return wouldn't be a question of if, but how and when. Clenching his healthy hand into a fist, he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to protect Greenlee from Vanessa if she did indeed strike again.  
  
The door opened again, and the aroma of delicious smelling food reaching his nose interrupted Leo's thoughts. Carrying a tray of food in his arms, Guy kicked the door shut behind him after he entered. With a smile, he gently set the tray down across Leo's lap.  
  
"I didn't know what you like." Guy said, sitting back down in the wooden chair beside the bed, "I hope that this is acceptable."  
  
"I'm not picky." Leo assured, stabbing his fork into a chicken breast, "I'd be grateful even if it was liver or something. Thanks for doing all of this, Guy. I know that the circumstances of my stay are not easy."  
  
"Think nothing of it." Guy replied with a smile, "What did you do while I was gone?"  
  
"I thought about Greenlee." Leo said, "No surprise there, huh?"  
  
"Oui." Guy agreed as Leo ate some of his food, "The stay here would be a lot easier if you did not have someone like Greenlee in your life, but it is a true blessing if you do have someone that you love so deeply. I would wager that the good far out weighs the bad."  
  
"I can't help but wonder what she's going through right now." Leo sighed, setting his fork down momentarily, "I know how I would feel if I thought that I lost her. At first, I wouldn't believe that she was gone, but if they found evidence, like they're going to find with me…"  
  
"What evidence?" Guy inquired puzzled.  
  
"I had to take my coat off while in the river." Leo replied, looking at the Count, "If they sweep it for bodies, they're bound to find it. They'll just assume that I was swept down river and to my doom. It's going to devastate Greenlee when she sees it."  
  
"It is unfortunate." Guy agreed with a slow nod, "Did you think about anything else?"  
  
"My mother." Leo said with a sigh, "I can't help but wonder if she survived this whole ordeal or not."  
  
"Do you want my opinion?" Guy asked as Leo nodded, "I believe that if you are this injured from the fall, than she must be far worse off. She may have even perished."  
  
"Is it wrong for me to be happy if she did?" Leo wondered, "I mean, she has tried to kill Greenlee multiple times, and she's hurt so many people over the years."  
  
"Yourself included?" Guy asked.  
  
"Yeah." Leo nodded, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Then, I'm not sure that anyone would blame you for hating her." Guy said, noticing Leo's now bare plate, "Well, if you obtained anything besides the name, you certainly have the appetite of a du Pres."  
  
"I guess I do." Leo chuckled before sighing, "I wish that you really were my father, Guy. I don't think my real one, whomever he is, could be as nice as you are."  
  
"Hmm." Guy smiled, nodding towards a bottle of pills on the nightstand on the other said of the bed. "It is time for your medication."  
  
As Leo glanced over the instructions on the pill bottle, Guy took the empty tray away from the younger man. He then made sure that the bed blankets covered the younger man, as Leo took the required medication.  
  
"The doctor warned me that the pills might cause drowsiness." Guy said as he stood up again, "I will leave you to get some rest, and I will also see if I can get some news from Pine Valley for you."  
  
"Thank you." Leo said with an appreciative smile.  
  
"You are welcome, my boy." Guy returned, walking out of the room with empty tray in hand.   
  
Lying back down again, Leo turned onto his left side and cradled his pillow with his broken arm. For a moment, he could swear that he saw Greenlee lying in the empty space next to him. He reached out his healthy arm to touch her, but she disappeared. He sighed in despair, before the medicine's side effect started to kick in. With a yawn, Leo decided to close his eyes and let sleep overtake him.  
  
To be continued.... 


	3. Chapter 3: The Dream

Shivering as he felt a cold snap of wind, Leo looked at the snow and mountains that surrounded him. Gasping, he realized that both of his legs and his arm were perfectly fine once again. His brown eyes surveyed the scene in front of him. From the dress of the people and the activity swarming around him, Leo figured out that he was at a ski resort of some sort. But, why was he here? The crowd bustling around him suddenly vanished, but one figure remained. It was a brown-haired, brown-eyed young boy who was wearing a blue snowsuit. With a smile, Leo watched at the kid laughed and played in the snow. As he watched, a shocking realization occurred to him.  
  
"That's me." Leo gasped, watching the kid frolic around the ski resort. As he remembered the only time he had visited this particular place, his face fell. "Oh, no. Not this."   
  
"Having fun, darling?" an older woman asked as she and the rest of the crowd reappeared. The older Leo recognized her instantly as his mother, Vanessa, and felt sick when he saw his younger self run over to the woman and hug her tightly.   
  
"Yeah." the younger Leo nodded as Vanessa smiled down at him, "Can we go skiing, Mom? I want to go skiing now."  
  
"Just a moment, sweetheart." Vanessa assured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you see that man over there, Leo? Sitting with the boy on the deck of the ski lodge? They're both eating ice cream?"  
  
"Yeah." younger Leo replied curiously, "What about him?"  
  
Wincing, the modern day Leo turned his back on the scene. He knew what was coming and he didn't care to see it, or experience it again. However, the scenery seemed to move, so that it was right in front of him once more.  
  
"That's your father, the Count du Pres." Vanessa informed as the younger Leo gasped in surprise.  
  
Without warning, Leo felt himself become one with the younger version of himself. The emotions, as he watched Guy and the little boy happily eating ice cream, were exactly how he remembered them. Leo could feel the throbbing pain that seemed to encircle his heart as he realized that his voice wouldn't work. He felt his lips move, but nothing was coming out! Anger at himself, and hopelessness engulfed him as he watched Guy and the child silently walk away. Leo could also feel himself trying to run, but he could only take a few steps forward.  
  
"Come along now, Leo." Vanessa said, as the older Leo once again split from his younger self. As he was gently led away by Vanessa, the younger Leo stared back at the table, which Guy and the child had been sitting at. His face was a study in dejection, and a few tears poured from his brown eyes. Watching on, the older Leo wanted to run to his younger self and assure him that everything would be all right. However, when he took a step forward, the ski lodge seemed to vanish and Leo found himself tumbling into a black abyss!  
  
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Wondering why he was shaking, Leo opened his eyes slowly to see Guy standing over him. The older man had been shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him. Upon seeing that Leo was awake, the Count slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed.  
  
"Are you all right, Leo?" the Count inquired worried, "You were tossing and turning violently in your sleep."  
  
"I'm fine." Leo said, wiping sweat off of his brow, "It was just a bad memory that I'd like to forget."  
  
"Would you like the news from Pine Valley?" Guy asked, deciding it was best to switch subjects.  
  
"Yeah!" Leo said enthusiastically, sitting up.  
  
"You may not be so overjoyed when you hear it." Guy said seriously, "Greenlee is reported to be in a really bad state mentally, but you expected that."  
  
"Yeah." Leo sighed, wincing. He wished he could cross the miles in a flash, and be with her, "Did they find Vanessa?"  
  
"Not yet." Guy replied, shaking his head, "The only thing that they have recovered from the river is your jacket. Vanessa's diamonds were reportedly also recovered by your brother, Trey."  
  
"Figures he'd go for the diamonds." Leo chuckled, thinking about his younger brother fondly, "That's so typical of Trey."  
  
"Hmm." Guy smiled, "You miss your brothers as well as Greenlee."  
  
"Yeah." Leo nodded with a yawn, "Not as much so, though."  
  
"I didn't think so." Guy replied, standing up, "You need some more rest. We will continue our conversation later."  
  
"Okay." Leo agreed, laying back in bed.  
  
With a smile, Guy turned out the light and left the room silently.  
  
To be continued.... 


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting Carlos

The next week seemed to blur together to Leo as he was not allowed to do much besides lay in bed. Occasionally, he would get up and go to the adjacent bathroom, where he would take care of his business and wash himself the best that he could. However, it wasn't enough to really satisfy him, and he decided one day that he was going to walk around the room as much as his broken legs would allow.   
  
After sitting up gently, Leo swung his legs over the edge of the bed. With his arms, he managed to slowly push himself into a standing position. He smiled victoriously for a moment, before falling back again. His legs were very much asleep!   
  
"Great." Leo muttered, deciding to give it one more go.   
  
His second attempt was much more successful, and he managed to make it over to the room's only window. It was overcast outside, and the garden below had just wilted away for the fall. However, Leo was happy to see anything that wasn't the surroundings of the bedroom. As he leaned his arm against the window frame, a smile crossed the brown-haired man's face.  
  
"Well," Guy commented as he opened the door, "I don't believe that this is in the doctor's instructions!"  
  
"I couldn't stay in bed any longer." Leo replied with a smile, turning towards the Count, "I'm going crazy up here!"  
  
"To be young and full of energy again!" Guy remarked, walking over, "Still, you must do what the doctor says if you want to make progress on your recovery."  
  
"I know." Leo sighed as Guy helped him walk back to the bed.  
  
"You must be patient for the time being, my boy." Guy replied as Leo sat down on the bed, "For now, I do not want to see you out of this bed unless it is necessary."  
  
"All right." Leo agreed, crossing his fingers behind his back.  
  
"I knew that was too easy." Guy remarked, pulling Leo's arm away from behind his back. He smiled at the still crossed fingers. "You remind me too much of myself at your age."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Leo chuckled with a smile.  
  
"Hmm." Guy smiled back, "Your doctor is coming by the day after tomorrow to check up on you. He said that if all goes well, he should be able to remove the bandages around your head and ribs."  
  
"But these will still be here." Leo remarked, looking disdainfully at the casts on his limbs, "So, it's not really much of an improvement."  
  
"I guess not." Guy said in a sympathetic voice, "Interpol has made some arrests in connection with your case. The person I spoke with said that it should only be a matter of time now."  
  
"Well, that's good." Leo replied with a smile, as the door was heard opening. A black-haired, Latino man about Leo's age entered and shut the door behind him. He smiled at the Count and Leo.  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting," the stranger said, looking directly at the Count, "But you said you wanted to see me."  
  
"You're not interrupting." Guy assured, motioning to Leo, "I've told you about Leo, haven't I?"  
  
"Yeah." the Latino man nodded.  
  
"Leo," Guy introduced, "this is Carlos Reyes, one of my many bodyguards. I'll be assigning him to protect you."  
  
"Nice to meet you then." Leo said with a smile.  
  
"Likewise." Carlos nodded as the Count stood up.   
  
"I will let the two of you get acquainted." Guy said, before turning to Carlos, "Make sure that he doesn't leave that bed unless it is necessary."  
  
"I won't." Carlos assured as the Count walked out, "It's good to see you when you're actually conscious and not soaking wet."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Leo inquired.  
  
"I was the one who found you." Carlos answered, sitting down, "You look a lot better now, man."  
  
"It's definitely nice to meet you then." Leo commented. He was beginning to like this guy, "So, how's the outside world?"  
  
"Ah, it's raining too much for my liking." Carlos commented, "Of course, that might have to do with where I'm from."  
  
"That being?" Leo inquired.  
  
"Argentina." Carlos replied.  
  
"Wow!" Leo remarked, "A bit far from home, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah." Carlos nodded, looking to the ground, "But not by choice."  
  
"What do you mean?" Leo asked, sitting up slightly.  
  
"I guess I could tell you the real story." Carlos said, looking at Leo with a smile. "It's not like you're going to be talking to anyone. We're actually a lot alike in some ways. I'm on the run from a crime organization myself."  
  
"Why?" Leo asked without thinking, "Sorry, man! I shouldn't have asked that."  
  
"It's all right." Carlos assured, "I walked in on one of the members trying to rape a girl I knew, so I took care of the guy. They've been after me ever since, and I left Argentina for my own protection."  
  
"Damn." Leo remarked, shaking his head.  
  
"It was hard to leave." Carlos continued, "It was especially hard to say goodbye to Pablo, but…"  
  
"Pablo?" Leo asked, wondering who he was.  
  
"My older brother." Carlos explained, "But he said that it was the best thing that I could do, and he wanted me to go for my own safety."  
  
"I wonder if David would say the same." Leo whispered to himself, thinking about his older brother. Whether Leo wanted to hear it or not, David always shared his advice with his younger sibling. Leo wondered again what David would say about his current situation.   
  
"Well," Carlos said, looking at his watch, "time for somebody to take his medication. If you need me, I'll be right outside your door."  
  
"Thanks, man." Leo replied as Carlos stood up, "With you around, I may have to work on my Spanish as well as my French."  
  
"Yeah." Carlos nodded as he turned out the light.  
  
To be continued.... 


	5. Chapter 5: A Solved Mystery

"I can't exactly be too excited about a doctor's appointment, Guy." Leo remarked as he sat up in bed.   
  
It was two days later, and time for Leo's check-up. Folding his arms across his chest, Guy simply stared at the younger man sitting in the bed in front of him. The Frenchman hadn't told the younger man about the paternity test yet, as he hadn't wanted to get Leo's hopes up if they were only going to get torn down again. Sighing, he ran a hand through his graying hair before he noticed Leo looking at him.  
  
"You've been kind of spaced out today." Leo noticed, looking concerned "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Oui." Guy nodded, "Everything is fine. I'm just anxious about what the doctor will say is all."  
  
"I'm the patient, Guy." Leo smiled, "I'm supposed to be the nervous one. Just relax."  
  
"I know." Guy assured, rubbing Leo's shoulder, "I know."  
  
As the door opened, a man slightly younger than Guy entered the room. He had brownish gray hair and a firm look in his hazel eyes. Guy stood up to greet him.  
  
"Bonjour, Dr. Jacot." the Count greeted, shaking the doctor's hand warmly.  
  
"Bonjour, Count du Pres." the doctor replied before turning to Leo, "Well, monsieur, it is a pleasure to see you again."  
  
"I remember you!" Leo realized, thinking back to when he had briefly woken up on the plane ride. "You were on the plane!"  
  
"Yes, I was." Jacot nodded, setting his medical bag down, "Now, if you have no further obvious observations, let's begin. You have been following my orders, correct?"  
  
"He has been." Guy stated with a nod, declining to mention Leo's little walking incident.  
  
"Good." Jacot replied, taking Leo's blood pressure. After examining Leo carefully for about 15 minutes, Jacot finally lowered his stethoscope around his neck. "He seems to be doing just fine."  
  
"The casts will stay on for at least another month." Jacot stated, looking at Guy, "At that time, we will take some x-rays to see how the bones are healing. I will be in touch with you as to how we'll accomplish that."  
  
"Yes." Guy nodded.  
  
"Did you want the results of the other test we did?" Jacot questioned, causing Leo to get suspicious.  
  
"What test?" Leo inquired.  
  
"May we discuss that outside?" Guy requested, nodding towards the door.   
  
"Of course." Jacot replied, "It was nice to meet you, Leo."  
  
"Nice to meet you too." Leo replied, as he watched the two other men walk outside his room. Guy made sure that he shut the door behind him. In the meantime, Leo was left to wonder what they had meant by other test.   
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Well?" Guy asked, looking at Jacot.   
  
"Your results." Jacot smiled, handing the Count an envelope, "Why haven't you told Leo about this? Surely, he'd want to know."  
  
"I did not want to get his hopes up." Guy replied, slowly opening the envelope. As he read the paper inside, a look of surprise appeared in his blue eyes. He looked back up at Jacot. "Are you sure that this…"  
  
"It is almost one hundred percent accurate." Jacot smiled, "And I can assure you that no one tampered with anything."  
  
"But the eye color…" Guy started.  
  
"Two blue eyes making a brown is quite uncommon, "Jacot said, "but it is not impossible. Congratulations, mon ami. I will leave you to share the good news with your new son."  
  
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"So, what's this about another test?" Leo inquired as Guy entered the room again. A look of concern appeared on the brown haired man's features as he noticed the stunned expression on Guy's face. Sitting down in the chair beside the bed, Guy silently stared at the younger man for a moment. "Guy? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing is wrong." Guy assured, shaking his head slightly, "I should have told you this when you first came to, but I didn't want to get your hopes up about anything. I had Dr. Jacot conduct another paternity test."  
  
"Really?" Leo replied interested.  
  
"Yes." Guy nodded, looking directly at Leo, "It was done under the tightest security. I wanted make absolute sure of the results, since we suspect that the last one may have been tampered with for whatever reason."  
  
"So, what did it say?" Leo wondered tensely.   
  
"What do you want it to say?" Guy asked with a smile.  
  
"Well," Leo sighed, "I know that what I want is nearly impossible…"  
  
"Not totally impossible." Guy stated, turning the paper towards Leo. Upon seeing it, the Pine Valley resident looked speechlessly at Guy with a look of sheer elation gleaming in his eyes, and a smile beginning to creep upon his face.   
  
"You're…" Leo stammered, "You really are my father."  
  
"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?" Guy replied, clapping a hand on Leo's shoulder. As Leo glanced between the paper and Guy some more, the Count could notice tears forming in his new son's eyes.  
  
"I can't believe this." Leo said quietly, "I would have never thought of taking another paternity test. Once David told me how much the odds were against it, I…My God! I would have never figured it out."  
  
"How about we not dwell on that?" Guy suggested, embracing Leo tightly, "I want this moment to be a happy one."  
  
"I do too." Leo assured, wiping away his tears of happiness. As he thought about something, the younger man started to chuckle. "You know, it's kind of ironic though. Vanessa kept me from you for so long, and now, she's the very reason that we've been reunited."  
  
"Things have a strange way of working out sometimes." Guy replied, separating himself from Leo. He still held his hands firmly on the younger man's shoulders. "I hope you realize just how proud I am to call you my son, Leo. I swear if I had known…"  
  
"How about we not dwell on that either?" Leo suggested.  
  
"Okay." Guy agreed with a nod, "So, where do we go from here?"  
  
"I was hoping that you knew." Leo replied with a weak smile.   
  
"Well," Guy joked, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "you are a captive audience, and there are about 26 or so years worth of lectures that you haven't heard from me. Then again, I do suppose that that would only add your current suffering."  
  
"Yeah." Leo laughed in agreement.  
  
"Hmm." Guy chuckled, reaching slowly into his pocket, "I gave you this the first time that I thought you were my son. Now, it is time that I impart it to you again."  
  
He offered a ring box to Leo, who knew instinctively what was inside. As the younger man opened it, the signet ring of the du Pres family came into view. According to Guy, every male in the du Pres family had worn, and still wore one. As it gleamed in the artificial light of the bedside lamp, Leo stared in awe at the delicate carving of the du Pres family crest into the ring. With a quick smile to Guy, Leo slipped off his wedding band, and put the new ring on his finger.  
  
"It looks good on you." Guy commented with a proud smile, "It is not too tight?"   
  
"No, it's fine." Leo replied, putting his wedding ring back on. He smiled again as he held his hand up for Guy's inspection, "It's actually a perfect fit."   
  
"I thought that it might be." Guy nodded reflectively, "It belonged to my father before he passed on. You share a similar build, and you probably get your brown eyes from his side of the family. He was a great man, Leo, and so, I want you to promise that you'll take care of that ring."   
  
"I'm extremely honored that you even thought of giving it to me." Leo replied, looking at the ring again. His brown eyes soon darted up to meet those of his father. "But shouldn't your other son have this? I mean, if it belonged to your father, then…"  
  
"His ring has its own unique history behind it." Guy assured, "It is all right that you have this one."  
  
"I'll take really good care of it." Leo promised.  
  
"I know that you will." Guy replied, rising from his seat, "It is getting late, so I think that I'd better leave and let you rest."   
  
"Wait." Leo encouraged, grabbing the Count's arm gently, "Do you think you could stay at least until I fall asleep?"   
  
"Why for?" Guy wondered, sitting back down again.  
  
"Because I don't want this day to end." Leo replied with a smile, "I've waited my whole life for it."  
  
"Then, I won't leave." Guy assured, realizing just how much finding his father meant to the younger man.  
  
A half an hour later, Guy stared in amazement at the sleeping form of Leo in front of him. A smile slowly creeped across his face, as he took in the joyful expression that still lingered on Leo's face. Gently squeezing his son's shoulder, Guy slowly rose from his seat. As he exited the room, he paused and looked back at Leo one more time.  
  
"Goodnight," Guy said, closing the door behind him, "my son."   
  
To be continued................ 


	6. Chapter 6: Melancholy Christmas

{Author's note: And here we have the customary place that I explain why it's taken me so long to update. Well, to make a long story short, my gall bladder decided to produce some gall stones to bug me (Nausea if I ate anything that wasn't bland, and REALLY bad pain where I couldn't even sit comfortably) until I could get it (the gall bladder) taken out. So after 4 misdiagnosis's, numerous trips to the doctor's office, and two emergency room visits (one leading to a week-long stay in the hospital...that's when I had the surgery) in the span of about a month, that's what happened. I've also had writer's block, but that's par for the course. :)}  
  
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Wondering why there seemed to be more light than usual in his room, Leo, who was still asleep, opened an eye to the world. He awoke instantly upon seeing the tall, ornate, lit-up Christmas tree that now stood facing his bed. As he sat up in bed, the brown haired man put a hand to his forehead. He had completely forgotten that today was Christmas! Still wondering where the tree, which hadn't been there the day before, had come from, Leo turned his head as he heard the door to his room open.   
  
"Feliz Navidad." Carlos greeted, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Merry Christmas to you too." Leo replied as Carlos sat in the wooden chair beside the bed.  
  
"Like our surprise?" Carlos said, nodding towards the tree. "You don't know how hard it was for the Count and I to be absolutely quiet while putting it up. We're just lucky that you're a pretty deep sleeper."  
  
"I guess." Leo chuckled, "Guy already left for Paris?"   
  
Even though he had known officially that he was the Count's son for two months now, Leo was still adjusting to referring to someone as his father. Although he understood, Guy usually corrected the younger man if he referred to the Count by his first name. The Count was spending Christmas in Paris with his family.  
  
"Yeah." Carlos nodded, "Actually, we have the whole chateau to ourselves since the staff has the day off. I don't think that it's an entirely good thing though as we're on our own food-wise."  
  
"Uh oh." Leo remarked, looking at Carlos. "Can you cook?"  
  
"Toast and anything microwave-able." Carlos shrugged, "You?"  
  
"Looks like we're having toast for Christmas dinner." Leo chuckled.  
  
"Or I need to go out to that place I went to last year and get some take-out." Carlos smiled. "I also don't think that your father will mind if we borrow some wine from his collection."  
  
"Take-out and fine wine." Leo nodded, "Sounds like an ideal way to spend an evening. All we're missing is some beautiful women."  
  
"Which brings me to your Christmas present." Carlos said, handing Leo an envelope. "It's not much, but I thought that you'd like it. I only wish that I could get you the real thing."  
  
"Real thing?" the now curious Leo asked as he slowly opened the envelope. The first thing inside was a portrait shot of a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. As if in a trance, Leo simply stared at the photograph. "Greenlee."  
  
"I saw it while browsing some American magazine." Carlos shrugged, "The Count told me that you didn't have any pictures, so I decided to cut it out for you."  
  
"I don't even know how to thank you, man." Leo replied, hugging Carlos tightly.  
  
"And you haven't even looked at the others yet." Carlos chuckled, hugging Leo back.  
  
"Others?" Leo repeated before noticing that there were two other pictures in the envelope. With a smile, Carlos stood up from his seat and walked towards the door.  
  
"I think I'm going to go call Pablo and wish him a Merry Christmas." Carlos said, "I'll come back later and see what you want for dinner."  
  
He suddenly turned to face Leo.  
  
"And don't even think about touching those presents under the tree." Carlos warned, "The Count wants to open those with you tomorrow."  
  
"There are presents under the tree?" Leo repeated surprised.  
  
"What did you expect?" Carlos chuckled, heading out the door.  
  
As the door shut behind Carlos, Leo turned his attention to under the tree. About 30 or so multi-hued packages lay around, some gleaming in the reflection of the lights. Realizing that all of them had to be for him, he felt his stomach sink. Guy was giving him so much, but wouldn't be getting anything in return. Sighing, Leo fell back upon the bed and wondered what the best way to decline the gifts would be.  
  
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Setting the small, half-empty bottle of wine down on the wooden chair, Leo picked up the envelope again before laying down on the bed. It was about midnight, and he had decided to retire for the night. Starting to feel the effects of the alcohol he had consumed with his late dinner, Leo rubbed his head as he pulled one of the other pictures out. This one was of a dark haired, dark eyed man who looked older than Leo. He bore a cocky grin on his face as if he was challenging the viewer to something.  
  
"David." Leo whispered, smiling fondly at his older half-brother.  
  
Setting the picture down upon his chest, the brown-haired man reached inside the envelope to pull out the other picture. This one was of a slightly younger man that had brown hair like Leo and was wearing glasses.  
  
"Trey." Leo smiled, recognizing the man as his younger half-brother.  
  
Looking at both of the pictures, Leo had to chuckle as he wondered if both of them were still out of prison. He knew that David had a knack for ending up in the jail every so often, and he also knew that Trey had at least one serious crime hanging over his head. He also had to wonder if the two were taking good care of Greenlee for him.  
  
Suddenly, as his brown eyes fixed on the picture of David, a memory started to play in Leo's head. It had been from some months earlier when Leo was forced to reveal that David's beloved father had been part of their mother's drug ring from the very beginning. This revelation had broken the usually arrogant doctor's heart.  
  
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"Oh, Leo." David said sadly, "What do we have left to hold on to, either one of us?"  
  
"Not much." Leo replied, "I guess it's just you and me, bro."  
  
"Who would have thunk it, huh?" David commented.  
  
"Not me." Leo admitted.  
  
"I guess we underestimated each other." David replied.  
  
"I guess so." Leo agreed as the two brothers hugged each other.  
  
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As his thoughts returned to the present, Leo sighed and reached for the bottle of wine on the chair. He stared at it for a moment before taking a big drink from it. He firmly kept the bottle in one hand as he took Greenlee's picture out of the envelope. As he slowly traced her face with a finger, the realization dawned upon him that this was supposed to have been their first Christmas as a married couple. He sighed heavily again before taking another drink from the bottle. Was his life really worth the heartbreak they both were going through?   
  
Shaking his head, Leo immediately sprang from the bed and headed to the room's window. The snow-covered ground below gleamed slightly in the moonlight. As he slowly ran a hand through his hair, Leo realized that whatever he was going through, Greenlee had to have it ten times worse. After all, he knew that she was still alive and most likely doing well while she thought that he was dead. In frustration, he pounded his fist against the wall nearby before sinking to his knees. The anger he felt at himself was overwhelming him now. How could he put her through this much pain? Didn't he care about her at all?  
  
Suddenly feeling weak, Leo slowly got to his feet and went back to the bed. He took another drink of wine as he gently put Greenlee's picture underneath his pillow.  
  
"Maybe next year." Leo said to no one in particular.  
  
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To be continued.... 


	7. Chapter 7: Father and Son Talk

As he heard the door to his room open the next morning, Leo sleepily opened an eye. It was all that he could bare to open as his over-consumption of alcohol the previous night had given him one hell of a hangover. He felt as if someone was trying to saw his head into two pieces. After moving the empty wine bottle from the wooden chair to the floor, Guy sat down and stared sympathetically at his son, who was beginning to realize just how much pain he was in.  
  
"I understand that you and Carlos had quite a celebration yesterday." Guy said quietly.  
  
"Please don't yell, Guy." Leo begged with a groan.  
  
"I'm not." Guy chuckled, "And that would be Dad to you, Leo."  
  
"Hurts too much to think straight." Leo semi-apologized, massaging his forehead with one of his hands. He winced as he realized that touching his head at all was only making things worse. When he opened his eyes again, Leo noticed that his father had disappeared from sight! Hearing water running in the adjacent bathroom, he sat up in bed slowly.  
  
"This should make you feel better." Guy said as he walked back into the room. He carried a glass of water and what appeared to be a bottle of aspirin. He handed the water off to Leo before shaking a few pills out of the bottle.  
  
"I'm not a kid, Dad." Leo smiled as Guy handed him the pills, "I can get my own medication."  
  
"You'd be too tempted to take the whole bottle in your state." Guy commented, causing Leo to chuckle.  
  
"That's probably true." Leo admitted before taking the pills.  
  
"We'll wait until you feel better to unwrap your gifts." Guy said, turning Leo's attention towards the tree.  
  
"Yeah, about that." Leo sighed heavily. There was no easy way to do this. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept them."  
  
"Because I wasn't able to get you anything in return." Leo explained, which triggered a quiet laugh from Guy. The Pine Valley resident felt both bewildered and angry at his father's reaction to what Leo felt was a valid concern. He turned away from Guy in a huff. "I'm glad that you think that this is funny."  
  
"I didn't mean to offend you, my boy." Guy apologized, putting a hand on Leo's shoulder. "It's just that you did exactly what I thought that you would do."  
  
"Thought I would do?" Leo repeated, looking at his father. "But if you knew, why did you…"  
  
"Because your concern does not exist." Guy said with a shrug of his shoulders. "You did give me a gift."  
  
"I did?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow. "How? Except for going to Dr. Jacot's clinic, I've been stuck in this tower for two straight months now!"  
  
Saying nothing, Guy smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. He offered it to Leo, who slowly took it and opened it up.  
  
"The results of the paternity test." Leo stated, looking at the paper before looking back up at his father. "But I didn't have anything to do with this!"  
  
"You were the one who started everything." Guy reminded.  
  
Turning his attention to the tree in front of him, Leo thought about what his father just said. He remembered how he (and to his surprise, Greenlee) had traveled to Paris that summer with the intention of tracking down Guy, who never knew that Leo even existed. A smile crossed Leo's face as the memories of the "quality time" he had spent with Greenlee in Paris began to also play in his mind. If only he could go back in time…  
  
"You understand now?" Guy asked, snapping Leo out of his daydreams.  
  
"I do." Leo nodded.  
  
"Well, that only leaves us one more thing to talk about." Guy said, changing the subject.   
  
"What?" Leo wondered as Guy silently held up the empty wine bottle. Leo, still suffering from his headache and starting to feel a bit queasy, cringed at the mere sight of it.  
  
"This can't help your problems, Leo." Guy reminded, making sure that he had eye contact with his son. "It can only put them out of your mind for awhile. You do know that, right?"  
  
"I know." Leo replied with a nod.  
  
"Good." Guy said, squeezing Leo's shoulder supportively. "What do you say to unwrapping your presents?"   
  
To be continued.... 


	8. Chapter 8: Sudden Genius

Staring at the dwindling closet space in front of him, Leo frowned slightly. It was later that same day, and he just now gotten around to putting away the Christmas gifts that he had received from Guy. The majority of which had been clothes and various accessories as all of Leo's things were back in Pine Valley. After hanging up one last pair of black leather pants, he sighed in relief as he realized that everything fit had fit nicely. Slowly walking over to the bed as his legs were now in walking casts, Leo had to chuckle at the one present that hadn't been clothing-related. Apparently, Guy had caught on to the fact that Leo had to stumble his way through speaking French, so he had given the younger man a book on learning the language.   
  
Hearing a knock on the door behind him, Leo turned around. Carlos walked in, baring a slight grin on his face. After shutting the door behind him, the Latino man leaned up against the wooden door.  
  
"Just seeing if you've recovered." Carlos smiled as Leo sat down on the bed.  
  
"Yeah." Leo replied with a chuckle. "God! I haven't been that hung-over in awhile!" He shook his head. "Not since Greenlee and I got locked in that wine cellar a few years ago."  
  
"I don't think I've ever been that hung-over before." Carlos said, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed. "And it's going to be awhile before I am again!" As the two men shared a laugh, he looked sincerely at Leo. "I sure am going to miss you, du Pres."  
  
"Miss me?" Leo asked, looking questioningly at Carlos. "Where you going?"  
  
"I've stayed too long." Carlos replied, looking at the floor. "Apparently, rumors are already beginning to fly back home that I'm in Europe someplace." He sighed slightly. "It won't be too long before they find out that I'm here."  
  
"Damn." Leo remarked, shaking his head. He looked sincerely at Carlos. "Where you going to go?"  
  
"I don't know." Carlos shrugged. He then grinned slightly. "Obviously, somewhere not in South America or here in Europe."  
  
Looking at the floor, Leo sighed as he tried to think of places that Reyes could go to. It would have to be someplace where he wouldn't stand out too much. A smile crossed his face as he realized the perfect solution to the problem.  
  
"How about Pine Valley?" Leo suggested, looking at Carlos.   
  
"Pine Valley?" Carlos repeated puzzled, "Your Pine Valley?"   
  
"Yeah." Leo nodded.   
  
"Are you sure about that?" Carlos asked, looking at Leo. "I mean, the guys who are after me are very dangerous, Leo."  
  
"Pine Valley's seen worse." Leo assured, thinking about his mother.  
  
"But if they were to follow me there…" Carlos pointed out as Leo held up a hand.   
  
"Pine Valley is probably the secrecy capital of the world." Leo said, "If you're not safe there, you're probably not safe anywhere." He smiled at Carlos. "It's the perfect place for a man on the run!"   
  
"And I guess the fact that I would be able to keep an eye on Greenlee is just cake to you?" Carlos smirked.  
  
Upon hearing what Carlos said, Leo froze instantly. He hadn't thought about the fact that if Carlos went to Pine Valley, he would able to keep an eye on Greenlee first hand. It was now definitely the perfect place for Carlos to go. His brown eyes met those of Carlos.   
  
"I hadn't thought about that." Leo admitted, "But it is an added perk."   
  
"I thought your two brothers were taking care of that though." Carlos pointed out.  
  
"I can't be sure that those two aren't in prison at any given moment." Leo remarked. As memories of his brothers played in his head, he smiled fondly.  
  
"Wouldn't Greenlee find it a bit odd if some stranger took an interest in her out of the blue?" Carlos asked, "I mean, she might think that I was in love with her or something."   
  
"That's perfect!" Leo exclaimed, jumping into a standing position.  
  
"What?" Carlos replied, puzzled.  
  
"We make Greenlee fall in love with you." Leo said, rubbing his hands together. Realizing how much it reminded of when Vanessa used to scheme, he stopped instantly. "It's the only way you'll get close enough to protect her."   
  
"Okay." Carlos smiled, "So, genius, how do we make Greenlee fall in love with me?"   
  
"That's the tricky part." Leo sighed, laying back on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling as his mind swirled about different ideas. It would be difficult to get the still-grieving Greenlee to fall in love with anyone, but a complete stranger? That might be nearly impossible even for the man who knew her better than anyone else. As nothing came to him, he sighed deeply.  
  
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Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Leo and Carlos (who had reluctantly officially agreed to go along with the idea) were still clueless as to how to make Greenlee fall in love with someone. Absentmindly staring into his French book, Leo, who was laying on his stomach on the bed, scratched his head. Carlos was leaving in a week and they needed to have a plan by then. Depressed, he let out a huge sigh.  
  
"Il ne va pas bien?" Guy asked from the doorway. (It doesn't go well?)  
  
"Ce qui?" Leo asked, looking at his father, who sat down next to him. (What?)  
  
"Your studying." Guy replied, nodding at the book.  
  
"It's not that." Leo said, closing the book. He also got into a sitting position.  
  
"What is it then?" Guy asked. He was clueless as to what Carlos and Leo were planning. "Were you thinking about home again?"  
  
"Sort of." Leo shrugged.  
  
"I wish that you could be there, my boy." Guy replied sympathetically. "I really do." He brightened slightly. "But Carlos informed me today that he is going to go to Pine Valley, so you will be able to get news from there."   
  
"Did he tell you anything else?" Leo asked, wondering if Carlos had informed Guy about their scheme.   
  
"No." Guy said, shaking his head. He also eyed Leo suspiciously. "Is there more?"   
  
After Leo told him about the idea of having Carlos fall in love with Greenlee, Guy remained silent and stroked his chin thoughtfully. Watching him, Leo really wished that his father would say something. He seemed to give off physical signs that he disproved of the notion. The brown haired, brown eyed man swallowed hard as Guy looked at him.   
  
"You are your mother's son, Leo." Guy remarked with a slight grin.   
  
"What?" Leo exclaimed, wondering if he had just heard Guy right. He stared in disbelief at his father. "Please tell me that you didn't mean that as a compliment."  
  
"I didn't." Guy assured, slightly shaking his head.  
  
"Good." Leo said, breathing a sigh of relief.   
  
"I only meant that you seem to have inherited her knack for coming up with wild schemes." Guy replied, gesturing with his hand.  
  
"I guess I don't need to ask what you think about my idea." Leo chuckled, gathering what Guy thought from his use of wild. "I guess this is where you tell me not to go forward with it."  
  
"Well," Guy sighed, "I wasn't going to say that, but I wasn't going to let you believe that I thought it was a good idea either."  
  
"I suppose that this is the point where you tell me why it's a bad idea." Leo replied, looking at Guy.  
  
"No." Guy said with a smile. "I'll let you try to figure out why on your own." He patted Leo's shoulder. "Me telling you would be the easy way out, and not the best."   
  
"Okay." Leo said while racking his mind, trying to think of reasons that it would be a bad idea. The only one he could think of would be that the plan would work too well, and Greenlee would be unwilling to leave Carlos for him when and if he did return. However, the more he thought about that one, the more impossible it seemed to be. He knew that he could never really love another woman besides Greenlee, and she was probably the same way with other men.  
  
But, what if Greenlee was furious with him upon finding out the truth? What if she wouldn't appreciate Carlos and Leo tricking her into falling in love again? What if she never forgave the pair of them? Leo shook his head. This possibility was a little harder to dismiss than the last one, to say the least. However, Greenlee had to understand his intentions. She just had to!  
  
"You know," Guy pointed out, interrupting his thoughts. "it would be bad for Carlos to contact you directly with information. It might throw them onto your exact location. It would be best if you had a third party involved."   
  
"That's true." Leo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Where am I going to find one though? You won't do it."  
  
"I won't?" Guy asked a bit surprised.  
  
"I do." Guy agreed with a nod. "But I never said I wouldn't help you if you needed it." He smiled at Leo. "Carlos will contact me with the information, and I will tell you what he said. How about that?"  
  
"Sounds good." Leo said smiling.  
  
"Well," Guy said, getting up. "I'll leave you to your studying, or, more accurately, your pretending to be actually reading that book." As Leo stared agape at him, Guy chuckled. "We parents tend to know these things, Leo." His smile suddenly faded. "If only I had been around while you were growing up, you might have…"   
  
"I thought we agreed a couple of months ago not to dwell on that." Leo reminded.   
  
"We did." Guy nodded, "However, that doesn't mean that I can't have regrets about what might have been."   
  
"You and me both, Dad." Leo replied with a smile.   
  
"Don't stay up too late." Guy said, playfully tossing Leo's hair before leaving the room.   
  
After Guy left, Leo put his textbook on the nightstand and crawled into bed. Before he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts turned back to the Greenlee situation. What if putting her through what they planned did make Greenlee hate him and Carlos? Sitting up again, Leo reached under his pillow and pulled out the picture of Greenlee that Carlos had given him for Christmas. As he sat in silence and stared into his wife's beautiful brown eyes, Leo suddenly felt as if Greenlee would understand that he did what he had to do. Feeling reassured, Leo slipped the picture back under his pillow and went to sleep.   
  
To be continued.... 


	9. Chapter 9: Snow Business

{Author's note: I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far, and even those who are just reading this. Knowing that it's not just sitting neglected on your end helps me get through the toughest spells of writer's block. THANK YOU!!!!!}  
  
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Leo shivered slightly as the snow on the ground quickly soaked through the t-shirt he was wearing. Today was the day Carlos was scheduled to leave France for Pine Valley, and Leo had been ordered to watch the proceedings from his room. However, due to his slight tendency for causing mischief and one major case of cabin fever, Leo had secretly snuck out of the chateau at the first opportunity given to him. The brown-haired, tall man now lay hidden behind some shrubs that grew near one of the walls of the chateau, a spot unnoticeable to the naked eye. Shivering again as the snow began to soak through his jeans, Leo could only watch through a hole in the bushes and hope that things would progress rather quickly.  
  
A worried Carlos suddenly emerged from the chateau and made a beeline directly to the Count. The Latino man pulled the older man, who had been engaged in conversation with someone, aside and told him something that appeared to be important. To Leo's horror, Carlos nodded towards the tower at the end of his sentence. He assumed that Carlos had ventured up to Leo's room, only to find that Leo wasn't there, and was now telling the Count this information. Chuckling, Guy looked at the tower and put a reassuring hand on Carlos' shoulder. Unfortunately, their backs were now to Leo, so he couldn't tell what they were saying.   
  
After Carlos eventually departed, the Count was left alone. His blue eyes seemed to be fixed on where the car had been just a few moments before. Leo cursed silently as he realized a flaw in his plan. How in the hell was he supposed to make it back up to the tower before Guy, who without a doubt knew all of the shortcuts, did? Sighing in frustration, Leo rubbed his forehead. There was only one thing left to do now. With a frown, he crawled out of his hiding spot.  
  
"I wondered when you were going to come out of hiding." Guy said, not turning to look at his son. That confirmed Leo's notion that Carlos had discovered that Leo was gone.   
  
"Dad, I…" Leo started as he walked over to his father's side. He stopped upon noticing that Guy was chuckling quietly. It wasn't the angry reaction Leo expected.   
  
"How in the world did you expect to get away with this, my boy?" Guy asked through his laughter. "I would think that Vanessa's son would know to plan better than this." His laughter stopped immediately as he put a hand on Leo's bare arm. Instead, a look of concern appeared on his face. "You are like ice, Leo! How long exactly have you been out here?"   
  
"About an hour." Leo shrugged. As a wind kicked up around the two, Leo shivered violently. He noticed that he couldn't even feel his running nose anymore, and his teeth chattered. Guy took off his thick coat and put it around the taller, younger man.  
  
"We'd better get you inside." Guy said, ushering Leo towards the chateau. A firm tone suddenly appeared in his voice. "I want you to promise me that you will never attempt something like this again, Leo."   
  
"I thought that it would be all right." Leo replied, hugging himself to try and keep warm. "I figured that since only your staff would be around, it would be all right."   
  
"I'm afraid that I'm not sure that we can even trust members of my staff." Guy said, shaking his head. "I haven't since the whole Wolfe incident last July."   
  
The Count was referring to the events that had played out the previous summer when he had come to town for Leo and Greenlee's wedding. Guy's most trusted assistant, Marius Wolfe, had turned out to be a member of the drug ring ran by Vanessa. He had plotted to kill Leo in order to get Vanessa to tell him the location of the Proteus millions. Luckily, Leo had fled his own wedding before Wolfe could fire a shot. Wolfe was later killed that same day by Leo's ex-sister-in-law, Anna Devane.   
  
As they entered the chateau, the first thing Leo noticed (besides the working heating system) was how quiet the building was. Given that it was now evening, Leo assumed that most of the staff had headed home for the night. Guy seemed to realize what he was thinking.   
  
"Only my head chef and the head maid should still be here." he remarked, shutting the door. "Both of whom know about you, so you don't really have to hide from them." After taking his coat from Leo, he nodded at a nearby stairwell. "Go get out of those clothes, and grab a hot shower. It should warm you up slightly."   
  
"Okay." Leo agreed, running up the stairs.   
  
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After emerging from the shower, Leo was feeling slightly warmer and could actually feel his nose and fingers again. Waiting for him on the bed was a pair of blue flannel pajamas that, from the warmth that radiated from them, seemed to have come right out of the dryer. Smiling, he slipped them on with ease, along with the matching, thick wool socks that were lying near them.   
  
A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts, and caused him to slip on his terrycloth bathrobe. Leo was still tying it shut when Guy opened the door to make sure that everything was all right. As he stepped into the room, the Count nodded at Leo's pillow.   
  
"Grab that if you think you'll need it to sleep."   
  
"I'm not sleeping up here?" the puzzled Leo asked. Guy had never suggested leaving his room, except for the times when he had to sneak in appointments with Dr. Jacot.   
  
"There's too much of a draft." Guy replied as Leo picked up his pillow. He delicately placed the picture of Greenlee inside the pillowcase.  
  
"I think you're overreacting about this." Leo commented as he followed Guy out of the room and down a staircase to the main chateau.  
  
"You were outside in the snow, without a coat or any other protection, for at least an hour." Guy replied as they reached the main floor and headed down another hall. "You'll be extremely lucky if you don't come down with something." He smiled at Leo. "Besides, it's a parent's job to worry about their children."   
  
The duo stopped outside a room at the end of the long hallway. As Guy opened the door, the first sight visible was a large, brilliant fire burning away in a brick fireplace on the opposite wall. It was the only thing giving off light in the room. The walls seemed to be nothing, but tall, high, full bookcases. Patting Leo on the shoulder, Guy gestured to the overstuffed, blue sofa in front of the fireplace.   
  
"You will be sleeping here tonight." he announced with a smile.   
  
"Where's here?" Leo asked, looking at him.   
  
"This is my library." Guy replied, looking around. "My own private sanctuary." He smiled at Leo. "My staff knows not to bother me when I'm in here, unless I've requested them to."   
  
"Cool." Leo said, sitting down on the sofa. As he laid down upon it, a knock was heard at the door. Guy answered it, and Leo overheard him have a short conversation in French with a strange woman before closing the door again.   
  
"Comfortable?" Guy inquired, noticing Leo's position as he walked back over. The Count carried a tray of food with him, and Leo could feel his stomach growl. He had missed dinner. As Guy set the tray down on the coffee table, Leo could see a bowl of vegetable soup and a couple of fresh-baked rolls waiting for him as well as a mug of some sort of steaming liquid. He sat up again.  
  
"Yeah." Leo replied, looking around the room. "This is a pretty nice place." He nodded at all of the books. "Those all yours?"   
  
"I find that there is no greater escape than a good book." Guy replied as Leo started to eat his rolls. "Even so, I don't think it's possible for anyone to read this many books." He smiled. "However, I can't part with them as some of them are as old as this chateau itself."   
  
"Really?" Leo exclaimed, nearly dropping his spoon. "And they're still standing?"   
  
"Well," Guy shrugged with a smile, "some have been repaired over the years." He looked around. "I think that the Marquise du Pres's diary is around here somewhere." He looked at Leo. "I've told you about her, and how she helped us retain this place during the revolution?"   
  
"Yeah." Leo nodded, "You told Greens and I about her last summer when you showed us this place." He set his spoon down as he finished the last of his soup. He took a drink of the liquid, only to discover that it was hot chocolate. As a warm, sleepy feeling came to him, he yawned. "You know, it's a real honor that you're letting me stay in her room."   
  
"It was the safest place that I could think of." Guy replied with a smile.   
  
Taking another drink of his hot chocolate, Leo suddenly felt a question enter his head. It was one he had been pondering since he had first met Guy that previous summer, but had never asked.   
  
"This has nothing to do with what we're talking about," Leo said, setting his mug down. "But, it's been eating at me ever since I met you." He looked at the Count quizzically. "How could someone like you fall in love with someone like my mother?"   
  
"You know what your mother is/was like, Leo." Guy replied frankly. "She could beguile the right people when she needed to." He sighed slightly. "I guess I wasn't immune to her tricks."   
  
"You wouldn't be alone on that." Leo assured, setting down his empty mug. "Vanessa was the best at pulling the wool over people's eyes." He sighed. "I guess if you could do all it over, you wouldn't even give her the time of day."   
  
"If I could do it all over again," Guy admitted, "I would still let myself be fooled by her." He smiled widely at Leo. "I think you know why that is, my boy."   
  
"Yeah." Leo replied with a smile. "I think I do."   
  
As another knock was heard on the door, Guy got up from his chair and took the empty dishes from Leo. The younger man simply watched as he walked to the door, and handed the tray to someone on other side. They exchanged them for a pile of blankets before departing. As he walked over again, Guy dropped the blankets on the sofa near Leo.   
  
"My only regret is that I never investigated Vanessa's sudden departure." Guy said, sitting back down in the chair. "At the time, it was the best thing for all parties involved, so I just let it go without question." He sighed as he looked into Leo's eyes. "I'm sorry for failing you that way, Leo."   
  
"You don't need to apologize." Leo replied as he layed down upon the sofa and started making a bed for himself with the blankets. He was not all surprised to find that they had been warmed, just like his pajamas. "You've already been more of a parent to me than Vanessa has been." Leo let out a huge yawn as he finished his sentence.   
  
"Perhaps you should get some sleep." Guy suggested with a smile as Leo readjusted in his makeshift bed.   
  
"You going to stay in here?" Leo wondered as he noticed that Guy wasn't moving.   
  
"I was going to read for awhile." Guy shrugged before looking at Leo. "Unless that bothers you, of course."   
  
"No." Leo shook his head. "No. That's fine." He smiled slightly. "It's kind of comforting actually."   
  
To be continued... 


	10. Chapter 10: A NotSo Peaceful Night

Hearing whimpering an hour or so later, Guy immediately looked up from the book he had been engrossed in to see Leo violently tossing and turning in his sleep. It was exactly like how the older man had found him a few months prior. Setting the book down on the arm of his chair, the Count rushed to his son's side.   
  
"No." Leo muttered, reacting to whatever he was dreaming about. His eyes were shut tightly, and he had clenched his hands into equally tight fists. As tears began to stream uncontrollably down his cheeks, his muttering turned to near shouting. "No! Don't walk away! Please don't walk away!" His tone suddenly grew quiet. "Father…"   
  
"Leo." Guy said, sitting down on the couch next to the sobbing, younger man. He shook his son violently. "Leo!"   
  
Leo slowly opened his eyes, causing the Count to rub the brown-haired man's shoulder reassuringly. Guy remembered the incident during Leo's visit the previous summer when the younger man had told him about the one time Leo had seen his father as a child. Vanessa had taken the boy to a ski resort, which Guy and one of his children were also at, and pointed out Guy to him. Leo had told Guy that he had tried to call out to him, but the child's voice just wouldn't work. He had been reduced to watching helplessly as the cheerful Guy walked away.  
  
"Dad?" Leo asked, looking up weakly at his father.  
  
"I'm right here, my boy." Guy assured as Leo wiped tears from his eyes. He was slightly embarrassed that his father had seen him in such a state. The Count watched him with a comforting look in his blue eyes. "You dreamed about the ski lodge, didn't you?"   
  
"How'd…" Leo wondered, looking questioningly at the Count.   
  
"You were talking in your sleep." Guy answered quietly.   
  
"What did I say?" Leo inquired, swallowing one last sob. He wasn't exactly sure that he wanted to know the answer to this.   
  
"I believe it's what you wanted to say that day." Guy replied as Leo slowly sat up and put his head in his hands. Moving his hand from Leo's shoulder, Guy soothingly rubbed his son's back and cursed Vanessa silently. "I wish that I could erase that memory from your mind, Leo."   
  
"I wish you could too." Leo replied, looking up slightly. He wondered why he kept flashing back to that particular memory. He had attributed it the first time to some sort of heavenly sign that he was going to find his father soon, but it seemed to come out of the blue this time. "I don't understand why I dreamed about that, Dad."   
  
"Dreams don't always have a meaning, my boy." Guy said, halting rubbing Leo's back.   
  
"Something like this has to." Leo replied, staring past Guy into the still-blazing fire in the fireplace. "Maybe it's some sort of penance for putting Greenlee through absolute hell." He chuckled slightly. "Or it could be Vanessa torturing me from beyond the grave." Noticing that his father had a serious look on his face, Leo quit laughing. "Dad? What's wrong?"   
  
"A whole lot has been wrong in the 27 years that you've been alive." Guy replied, removing his hand from Leo's back. "I'm not sure that I can make up for everything your mother and I, by my absence, have put you through…"   
  
"You don't…" Leo started before Guy put his hand up to stop him.   
  
"I need to clear my conscience." Guy continued, looking earnestly at Leo. "If I had only investigated your mother's disappearance, I may have been able to save you from a life of pure hell." The Count smiled and shook his head. "I never thought that I could hate the mother of any of my children, but I'm afraid that that is the only thing I can feel for your mother, Leo."   
  
"I understand." Leo nodded, thinking of all of the pain that Vanessa had put Greenlee through. He closed his eyes tightly as the assorted memories started to play in his head: Greenlee and Jake Martin almost drowning, Vanessa with a knife to Greenlee's throat, the whole Millers Falls incident…Not wanting to see the images anymore, he opened his eyes again slowly and looked honestly at Guy. "I feel the same way."   
  
"I think that there has been enough talk for tonight." Guy said as he slowly stood up again. He rested a hand on Leo's shoulder as the younger man looked up at him. "You need your rest, my boy." He paused. "Hopefully, a much more peaceful rest than what you had."   
  
"Hopefully." Leo yawned in agreement as he laid down and got comfortable again. The tall, brown-haired man was still thinking about the dream he had had, but he simply didn't feel like discussing it anymore with his father. Even though it was proving to be impossible, Leo was trying not to even think about it anymore.   
  
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Standing in the doorway a half an hour later, Guy decided to look at Leo one more time before heading off to bed himself. A smile crossed his elderly features as he noticed the tranquil look on his son's face. Whatever Leo was dreaming about, it was better than the ski lodge incident.   
  
As memories of the night's events began to play in his mind, Guy slowly removed his gaze from the sleeping form of Leo and looked up towards the heavens. A look of pure hatred flashed in his eyes, and a scowl appeared on his face.  
  
"God damn you, Vanessa." he whispered into the night.   
  
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"God damn it." Leo exclaimed quietly as he looked around. The snow, the ski lift, and the cold air…it was all too familiar. Plopping down in the snow, du Pres wondered what he had done to deserve having the dream twice in one night. He hugged his knees to his chest in order to keep warm as a fierce wind kicked up around him and he hung his head. Hearing the sound of footsteps crunching the snow behind him, Leo guessed that it had to be his younger self appearing to start things off. He closed his eyes tightly, partly out of desperation and partly because of the wind.   
  
"Like torturing yourself, Leo?" a man asked from behind him. Upon recognizing the voice, Leo stood immediately and spun around. An older, black-haired man stood behind him. A compassionate look in his brown eyes, but a cocky look about him. He crossed his arms across his chest as Leo simply stared in amazement at him.   
  
"David?" Leo questioned, taking a few steps forward. "But how…"   
  
To be continued... 


	11. Chapter 11: Brotherly Bonds

"Like torturing yourself, Leo?" a man asked from behind him. Upon recognizing the voice, Leo stood immediately and spun around. An older, black-haired man stood behind him. A compassionate look in his brown eyes, but a cocky look about him. He crossed his arms across his chest as Leo simply stared in amazement at him.   
  
"David?" Leo questioned, taking a few steps forward. "But how…"   
  
"Well," David said, thinking. "I can't be sure, but I think I'm here because you're in need of advice." He shrugged. "This is your dream, little brother. You know better than I do why I'm here."   
  
"Just because it's my dream doesn't mean I can control it." Leo pointed out, "I mean, think about it, David. Why would I choose to be here of all places?"   
  
"I'm going to go with David's first theory." a voice answered from behind Leo. A brown-haired, glasses wearing man slightly younger than Leo emerged from out of nowhere. "You have some masochistic side to your personality."   
  
"Oh God." Leo sighed, seeing the newcomer. "Not you too, Trey."   
  
"I can't let David have all of the fun." Trey shrugged as he stood at his oldest brother's side. He looked around at the scenery before looking again at Leo. "Geeze, man. Could you have picked a more miserable place to have this little reunion at?"  
  
"Like I was telling him," Leo said, gesturing at David. "I didn't choose to be here. Why would I?"   
  
"You should be asking yourself that question." David replied frankly, "If you're dreaming about this, little bro, then at least some part of you wants to be here."   
  
"Oh, for…" Leo exclaimed, putting a hand to his forehead. "How many times do I have to say it?" He looked at David and Trey. "I do not want to be here! No part of me does!" He sighed heavily and turned away from them. "You two don't understand how it felt to watch my own father walk away from me." He looked up at the sky. "The one man who could have given me everything I dreamed about for so long."   
  
"That's why you've been coming back to this place." David realized, putting a hand on Leo's shoulder. Had he not known for a fact that the real David was miles away, Leo could swear that the one he was dreaming about was the real McCoy. "You're afraid that you're going to lose your father, just like you've lost everybody else." Hayward shook his head. "Our mother really did a number on you, Leo."   
  
"Tell me something I don't know." Leo remarked with a half-hearted smile.   
  
"That you're unbelievable." Trey replied with a chuckle. Both David and Leo turned to look at their younger brother, who was laughing. "After everything that Count du Pres has done for you, you still think that he's just going to walk away?"   
  
"Not walk away exactly…" Leo stammered as Trey continued laughing. Anger appeared in Leo's eyes as he watched his younger brother. "What in the hell is so funny?"   
  
"You and your needless insecurities." Trey replied as Leo growled in anger.   
  
"Shut up!" Leo exclaimed, throwing a left punch directly at Trey. The hit never connected as the scenery around Leo changed instantly. The ski lodge, David and Trey had all vanished. Now, he found himself in a dilapidated, dirty boathouse on the shore of some lake. As he looked around, a stunned look appeared on his face. Could it possibly be that boathouse?   
  
"Trey's always been a bit of an asshole, hasn't he?" a female voice remarked, causing Leo to turn around as fast as he could. A petite, brown-haired, brown-eyed woman stood in the doorway to the building. Still stunned, a huge grin appeared on Leo's face.  
  
"Greenlee!" Leo exclaimed happily as he ran forward.   
  
To be continued... 


	12. Chapter 12: Here Without You

{Author's note: Shorter than I thought it would be, but it's still good. It was refreshing to write a Greenleo scene again.}  
  
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"I'm here without you, baby  
  
But you're still with me in my dreams.   
  
And tonight, girl, there's only you and me."  
  
- Three Doors Down "Here Without You"   
  
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Upon reaching her, Leo wrapped his wife up in a hug. He was overjoyed to see that, just like with David, Greenlee felt as if she was actually there and not the figment of his dreams. Tears of joy started to cascade down his cheeks and into her hair. As she pushed herself slightly away from him, Greenlee smiled up at her husband.   
  
"Please tell me you're not going to act like Trey and David." Leo said, caressing her face with his hand. He didn't think that he could bare it if his wife had teased him about his insecurities like his younger brother had.   
  
"I'm not." Greenlee promised, putting her hands on his shoulders.   
  
"So, what are you doing here then?" Leo inquired. He knew that he had to be dreaming about Greenlee that night for more reasons than just the simple fact that she was all he could think about.   
  
"I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't be punishing yourself for what you and Carlos are doing." Greenlee replied with a smile. "And also that you're not going to lose Guy, and you didn't lose any of us back here in Pine Valley either." She hugged him close once more. "We'll be together again soon, Leo. I know it."   
  
"I know both of those things, Greens." Leo replied.   
  
"Do you?" Greenlee asked, looking up into his eyes. "If you really knew, then you wouldn't be punishing yourself by dreaming about the one thing that would hurt you the most right now." She paused and rubbed his back. "The one person who knows that you're still alive and who also loves you more than life itself disappearing on you." She shook her head. "That's what you're afraid of right now, besides Vanessa's cronies hurting us back home: something taking your father away from you."   
  
"You're right about that." Leo replied with a nod. It was true that he was still insecure when it came to the relationship with his father. Unfortunately, due to his upbringing with Vanessa, Leo wasn't sure that he could trust that the older man was being 100% genuine with him, and that he wouldn't just abandon Leo when the time was right. However, if Guy was being sincere, then Leo also feared that harm might come to him from Vanessa's cronies. Just like he feared those in Pine Valley getting hurt.   
  
"Of course, I'm right." Greenlee giggled. A serious look suddenly came over her face. "Speaking of your father, you need to go now, Leo. He's really worried about you at the moment for some reason."   
  
"I don't want to leave you, Greens." Leo replied, shaking his head. "I mean, I know that you're not the real thing, but…"   
  
"Shh." Greenlee said, putting a finger on his lips to silence him. She then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Go to your father now." She giggled slightly. "I'll see you in your dreams."   
  
To be continued... 


	13. Chapter 13: Bumps in the Road

{Author's note: Sorry that it took so long to update, but my Leo muse was refusing to cooperate for awhile :).}  
  
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"His fever has broken." Leo heard a familiar voice announce as he slowly opened his eyes back to reality again. The minute he did, an overbearing feeling of weakness filled him, as did the realization that he had been covered in sweat. Once he was properly awake, the tall, brown-haired man took in the sights that surrounded him. He was still lying on the couch in Guy's library, but it seemed that some time had passed as the once brilliant fire was now reduced to still ashes. Speaking of the fireplace, Leo could see Guy standing with one arm resting on the mantle of the brick structure. A look of relief starting to appear on his elderly features. Feeling the sensation of a cold stethoscope on his bare chest, Leo turned to see Dr. Jacot sitting beside him on the couch. The brown and gray haired man wiped sweat from his own brow.   
  
"So you're awake, mon ami." Dr. Jacot smiled, noticing Leo's open eyes. He quickly removed the stethoscope and jotted some notes down on a pad of paper.  
  
"What happened?" Leo asked as he sat up slightly.   
  
"To put it in simple terms, you came down with a pretty bad bug." Dr. Jacot replied as he finished his notes. Setting the pad down, he turned and looked at Leo with a stern gleam in his hazel eyes. "I would advise against any more idiotic escapades into the snow, and I would also advise that you stay in bed for the time being."   
  
"He will." Guy promised, stepping forward. He looked decisively at Leo. "I will make sure that he does."   
  
"Good." Dr. Jacot nodded as he stood up. "Forgive me for not staying, Comte, but I have other patients to attend to back at the hospital, and I assume that you can take it from here."   
  
"Thank you again, Henri." Guy replied with a smile as he walked his old friend to the door of the room. The pair was blocked from Leo's view by the back of the couch. "Give my best to Hannah and the kids."   
  
"I will." Dr. Jacot responded before Leo could hear the door close. It wasn't long before a very relieved looking Guy reemerged from behind the couch, and sat down at his son's side. With a handkerchief, du Pres the elder dabbed at the remaining sweat on his son's forehead.   
  
"Perhaps it is a good thing that I did not meet you until now, Leo." he remarked with a chuckle. "I suspect that I would have gone gray long before my time." Guy halted his actions. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I've been better." Leo replied, sitting up more. He contemplated telling his father about the dreams he had had, but decided against it. After all, Leo was sure, after his conversation with dream Greenlee, that the matter had been resolved and there was no need to worry Guy about it any further. He rubbed his neck as a scratchy feeling attacked his throat when he tried to swallow.   
  
"No more dreams about the ski lodge then?" Guy wondered with a raised eyebrow. "You were in a pretty feverish state when I walked in earlier." He shook his head. "I couldn't wake you. Thus, why I called Henri to come in and examine you."   
  
"I did dream about it." Leo admitted as Guy sighed in despair. "But I think it will probably be the last time I do." A grin appeared on his face. "I kind of had a talk with David, Trey and Greenlee about it. They made me realize what was causing it, and what I can do to fix it." It was Leo's turn to sigh in despair. "They seemed so real, Dad. It was like they were actually there."   
  
"Maybe someday soon." Guy replied sympathetically, rubbing his son's shoulder. "Interpol is making good progress with your case. It shouldn't be long now." A grin appeared on the older man's face. "I heard from Carlos while you were asleep. He has made it safely to Pine Valley, and he said that he will begin your plan almost immediately."   
  
"Good." Leo yawned, "Good to know that something is going right."   
  
"You need more rest, my boy." Guy commented, standing slowly up. As Leo layed back down again, the elderly man picked up one of his son's blankets from the floor and threw it over him. "Sleep will help you recuperate faster from this illness."   
  
"If anything, it sounds good." Leo smiled as he closed his eyes.   
  
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As the wind from the open window blew through his brown hair, a smile slowly appeared on Leo's face. It was now May, and the former con man was just returning from a check-up at Dr. Jacot's office in Paris. Usually the check-ups would be the extent of Leo's ventures outside of the chateau, but today, Guy had decided to let the younger man drive one of his expensive cars around the French countryside as a treat…a decision that he was beginning to reconsider.   
  
"You're going too fast, Leo!" Guy commented, closing his eyes as the tall, brown-haired man cut a corner particularly fast. "Slow down!"   
  
"Slow's no fun." Leo shrugged, enjoying freaking his father out like this.   
  
"Fun or not, you have less chance of crashing." Guy replied, opening his eyes. The blue orbs glared at the now-chuckling Leo. "Now as your father and the owner of this car, I'm ordering you to slow down."   
  
With a sigh, Leo let his foot off the gas and let the car slow to a more reasonable speed. A satisfied and relieved look appeared on the older Frenchman's face as he propped his arm up on the down window. He turned his gaze to the passing countryside.   
  
"You can't see the scenery at such a high speed anyway." Guy commented before his attention became fixed on the rear-view mirror. Noticing the Count glance nervously behind the car, Leo turned his eyes towards his father.   
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, watching the road and Guy.   
  
"That car behind us." Guy replied in a worried tone, reaching into his pockets. "It's been following us since we left Paris."   
  
Leo suddenly felt his own worry rise at this statement. Not all of his mother's men had been arrested yet, so it was plausible that someone could come after him and the Count. It could just be coincidence that someone had been following them for about half an hour, but then again…  
  
"I'm going to call my security team for back-up." Guy stated, pulling his cell phone and a small pistol out of his pocket. As he noticed Leo staring at the pistol, Guy paused. "This is only for the worst case scenario. I'm not going to take any chances with your life, my boy."   
  
"Nothing's going to happen." Leo shook his head as he gripped the steering wheel harder and gritted his teeth. "I'm going to give them a demonstration of just how fast we can run!" He chuckled slightly as his foot pressed the gas pedal to the floor. "I hope you still have your seatbelt fastened."   
  
To be continued... 


	14. Chapter 14: Fulfilled Anticipations

As the security team opened the iron gates to the confines of the chateau, a relieved, yet astounded look appeared on Guy's face as he turned to Leo, who sighed in relief as he leaned back again against the leather seat. The father and son pair had left the mysterious car that had been trailing them in the dust long ago, but still decided to head directly back to the Chateau du Pres.   
  
"Where did you learn to drive like that?" Guy asked as the duo departed the car.   
  
"Vanessa always taught me to run if I thought I was going to be caught." the tall, brown-haired man grinned as he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"One thing I can be grateful to her for." Guy remarked as a security guard walked up.   
  
"Apparently, you were just followed by an elderly couple making their way back to their vacation home around here." the guard reported, looking at Guy. He shook his head. "No connection to Madame Courtlandt's organization at all."   
  
"Good." Guy nodded, glancing at Leo.   
  
"Speaking of that," the guard continued, lowering his voice so that Leo couldn't hear him. "Your connection at Interpol called for you while you were gone." The burly man nodded his head towards Leo. "She said that she had some rather good news about his case."   
  
"I understand." Guy said in a normal tone. "Merci, Pierre. As always, you and your men have done excellent work." He smiled at the burly security captain before turning and heading back towards the chateau. Leo followed after him.   
  
"What did he say?" a curious Leo asked.   
  
"Who?" Guy replied innocently.   
  
"Pierre." Leo clarified as the duo reached the doors to the interior of the chateau. "He lowered his voice, so I couldn't hear what you two were talking about."   
  
"Don't worry about it, my boy." Guy smiled, looking up at his still-puzzled son. "You will find out when the time is right."   
  
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Pacing around his room that night, Leo still wondered what it was that the Count and Pierre had been talking about. It had to have something to do with the tall, brown-haired American because Pierre had lowered his voice intentionally, and had nodded towards Leo. However, the Count had not told him what it was, nor had he been up to see Leo since the events of that afternoon. Sitting down on the bed, Leo could only wonder why it was his father, who seemed to trust him, wouldn't tell him anything. A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts.   
  
"Are you busy, my boy?" Guy inquired, stepping inside.   
  
"Not really." Leo replied, knowing that Guy would only chuckle if Leo revealed that he had been thinking about what it was that the Count wouldn't tell him.   
  
"Good." Guy said, sitting down beside him on the bed. "Because you have a lot of packing to do, so I suggest…"   
  
"Packing?" a puzzled Leo interrupted, "What are you…"   
  
"My connection from Interpol called here earlier." Guy replied with a wide smile. "All of the arrests in your mother's case have been made."   
  
It took Leo a moment to realize that his father had really spoken the words he had dreamed about for so long. His brown eyes widened in shock as he turned physically towards his father.   
  
"You mean…" Leo stammered.   
  
"Yes." Guy nodded with a few tears of joy in his eyes. "It is finally safe for you to go home."   
  
To be continued.... 


	15. Chapter 15: The Long Road Home

{Author's note: Well, here we are at the end of the beginning. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I want to thank everyone who reviewed again as you all gave me encouragement to bust through even the toughest writer's blocks, and I just want to thank everyone who took enough to time to read even some of this in general. It really means a lot to me. THANK YOU!}  
  
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Staring up at the jet in front of him, Leo stuffed his hands into his pants pockets as a breeze tore through the airfield. It was the next day, and he was finally about to head home to Pine Valley via Guy's private jet. He turned physically towards his father, who was also looking at the plane. Leo noticed a hint of sadness in the older man's blue eyes.   
  
"It's not because I want to leave you, Dad." Leo commented.   
  
"I know." Guy nodded, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.   
  
"Finding out that you're really my father and getting know you was the only bright spot these past few months." Leo replied with a smile. "It kind of makes me glad that all of this happened."   
  
"These things do have a way of working out." Guy agreed, returning Leo's smile. "Now, you'd better get going."   
  
"Yeah." Leo nodded before hugging his father tightly. A few tears, both of happiness and sadness, escaped his brown eyes. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me."   
  
"I just did what any father would have done." Guy shrugged, hugging Leo back. As the two broke their embrace, Guy continued to stare at his son proudly. "Now, go to Greenlee."   
  
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As the plane touched down again, Leo smiled widely as he saw the exterior of Pine Valley Airport come into view. The tall, brown-haired man had pinched himself numerous times over the past couple of days to make sure that he wasn't really dreaming this. His mind was fast at work, trying to determine what his first destination would be. He wanted it to be the place where he was sure that he would find Greenlee, but where was that at this moment? The penthouse? Her new company, Fusion's office? Neither of which seemed ideal for their reunion. As he tapped his fingers against the armrest, Leo's grin widened. He knew instinctively where to go to find Greenlee: the one place they always found each other at.   
  
"The boathouse." Leo whispered to himself as he unbuckled his seatbelt.   
  
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As he neared the entrance to the old, rickety, dirty boathouse in front of him, Leo could see a figure sitting on the dock, looking at the water. Silently stepping into the boathouse, the tall, brown-haired man looked closely at the figure. The petite, brown-haired woman was barely missing touching the water in front of her with her hand, and had no clue that she wasn't alone. Leaning an arm against the doorframe for support, Leo could feel his heart race as he recognized her instantly.   
  
"Greenlee." he whispered to himself.   
  
Suddenly, the woman turned away from the water and stood up. Her eyes widened and her body went still as she caught sight of Leo standing there. Chuckling to himself at her reaction, the tall, brown-haired man walked over to her. He wondered when she was going to say something.   
  
"Don't be an illusion." she said softly as tears began to fall from the brown eyes Leo had found himself lost in so many times before. "Please don't be an illusion."   
  
Greenlee reached up and put her hand to his cheek. The surprise was very clear in her eyes when it didn't go right through him like she thought it would. Saying nothing, Leo gently reached up and pulled his wife's hand down. His mind wondered if she had ever looked so beautiful before.   
  
"Greens." he smiled as tears started to escape him.   
  
"Leo!" Greenlee exclaimed as the two embraced tightly. Holding her, Leo could feel his wife's tears starting to soak through the black wool sweater he was wearing. Sobs blocked her from saying anything to him, so Leo assumed that it was time he told Greenlee what he wanted to tell her the most.   
  
"I'm so sorry." he said, holding her closer. "I would have let you known that I was alive a lot sooner if I could have."   
  
"No." Greenlee replied, looking up at him. She wiped tears away from her eyes. "Please don't apologize." She shook her head. "I don't want this moment to be spoiled by apologies."   
  
"Okay then." Leo agreed as he bent his head down towards his wife's. Their lips connected, and Leo could feel a surge of pure ecstasy and love shoot through every part of him. As the pair continued to kiss passionately, his brown eyes looked up at the blue morning sky that was beginning to appear. He was finally home!   
  
The End 


End file.
